Emraan-Vidya bond inspissates on the sets of The Dirty Picture

Emraan Hashmi, post the success of Once Upon A Time In Mumbai and Murder 2 and Vidya, fresh out of No One Killed Jessica and Ishqiya, are slowly but steadily warming up to each other's presence on the sets of The Dirty Picture. Though it looked like quite a task that Milan Luthria and his team had in hand only because Emraan and Vidya hadn't worked together before, the current level of bonding between the Duo has attained a point where they are absolutely comfortable, especially when it comes to discussing the nitty-gritties of the on-screen intimacy needed for them.

"A new pairing always takes time to settle down; especially when it comes to a film like The Dirty Picture, which by no means, is like any other love story. Though both Vidya and Emraan have been quite bold in their own ways over the years, it is different when you bring such strong and different individuals together," remarks a source close to the film.

So while in isolation both Vidya and Emraan were kicked about bringing on screen the kind of characters that they had never played before, the challenge was to ensure that there was enough comfort between them.

"Milan had pre-empted that Emraan and Vidya would need to spend time together before the start of shoot. That's why he had even arranged workshops for them." says the source, "Though Emraan, usually, isn't a man of many words, Vidya is open and fun-loving. Milan was sure that as mature individuals they would cultivate the kind of chemistry that was would be required for the genre and narrative of the film."

Guess the perseverance paid off, because after a period of adjusting, Emraan and Vidya let go of their inhibitions and became absolutely comfortable with each other. In fact, during a latest photo shoot in Hyderabad, Emraan even played a prank on Vidya by posing as a drunkard when she was shooting some sensational photographs. Says the source, "This really broke ice between them. It wouldn't be correct to say that they have turned into close friends but for the purpose of making the film an affair to remember, both are doing enough to make their unique first-time pairing stand out."

Given that Vidya made the most out of her unconventional pairing with Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi in Ishqiya, and Emraan comfortably took Ajay Devgn heads-on in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (when many had actually questioned such casting), Milan Luthria and his producer Ekta are confident that the two actors will ignite the screen when the film releases worldwide on December 2, which coincides with Silk Smitha's birthday.

A trade pundit rounds it all up by stating, "Known for engaging in interesting and unconventional casting in all its previous releases, Balaji has again tackled the unheard of by casting Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan - two of the most successful stars of today - opposite each other in The Dirty Picture. The perfect combination of mass and class promises to make this controversial film yet another winner from the Balaji stable."